


July 7th

by app_lied



Category: Bakemonogatari
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2019-12-22
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:47:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21893137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/app_lied/pseuds/app_lied
Summary: Araragi takes Senjougahara out for a birthday surprise. Things don't go quite according to plan, but sometimes you just have to make your own luck.
Relationships: Araragi Koyomi/Senjougahara Hitagi
Comments: 2
Kudos: 19





	July 7th

**Author's Note:**

> Before reading this, it is recommended to read a summary of the story "The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl" - the myth which 'Tanabata', the Star Festival, was born from. Otherwise you won't understand some of the references.

“Koyomi, I’m not mad anymore. I swear. I promise.”   
  


“If that were true, you would have put the ‘swear’  _ after _ the ‘promise’...”

“No, I’m serious. I’ll even drop the legal proceedings.”

“You were serious about suing me?!”

_ Objection! I don’t have that kind of money! _

This was the exchange had between Hitagi Senjougahara and her ever misfortunate lover, as they sat listening to pattering of raindrops on the windshield, both staring at nothing out of opposite windows, illuminated solely by the faint glow from the dashboard of the yellow New Beetle.

It was the 7th of July, Tanabata - the Star Festival, a Japanese national holiday. More importantly however: it was the young woman's birthday.

It was her birthday, and her boyfriend had her stuck in a car on a nondescript mountain in the middle of just about nowhere. Well, nondescript to some. The pair parked there knew it very well. More accurately, they could never forget it even if they tried. Even if they wanted to - they couldn't. It was tattooed into their memory.

It was the same mountain from just over a year ago. The same mountain where a vow was made under a veil of summer starlight. The same mountain where a vow was made and sealed with a kiss. The same mountain where the story only they knew was written.

The same mountain they had visited as third year high school students, they now found themselves on as first year college students. Yet there wasn't a star to be seen.

"You know, Koyomi, since it rained on Tanabata, we can't see each other for a whole year now. You'll have to find a hobby."

_ I'll ignore the bit about the hobby. _

"Your dad wouldn't keep us apart like that."

"..."

"Wait, would he?"

"Who knows."

"Oi, that's not the place for "who knows". This is serious. There's no way I could go a year without seeing you. I mean, what if Kanbaru steals you away from me?"

"If we're talking about stealing, I feel I have more cause for worry. Kanbaru could plausibly steal  _ you _ away from  _ me _ . I've seen you two together. Hanekawa is still in the running too. And that's provided that either of them beat your  _ sisters _ to the punch."

"Ouch…"

That silenced him.

However, he could confirm one thing from that assault. Senjougahara truly wasn't that mad. He could tell when she was producing real venom, and that wasn't it. He would know - he had spent months being coated in it. 

Letting out an inaudible sigh, he thanked whatever forces allowed him to have gotten to be together with a woman like her. She was above the kind of pettiness that would allow her to be bothered by one ruined date - even if the idea was plagiarised. Her maturity and deep self-conviction never failed to leave him anything short of floored.

Well, he was speaking as if the night had ended, as if he had already raised a white flag. But he wasn't going down that easily. He still had another hand to play. There was no way Koyomi Araragi was going all in on one round on the most important night of the year.

If the Milky Way itself separated them, all he had to do was cross it.

"Well, I suppose it's time for part two."

"Part two?" Senjougahara inquired with genuine sounding curiosity. For the first time since they parked and the rain began to fall, she turned from the passenger window to face him.

"Yeah. The second act. I built my own bridge," he said with a smile, kicking the car into life with a turn of the ignition.

************************

After around 50 minutes of winding mountain roads (still a shorter journey than from their town to the observatory), Araragi finally pulled up in the parking lot outside of the Amanogawa Resort Hotel.

"Oh, and here I was thinking that that suitcase was for storing my dead body, silly me," Senjougahara remarked as he hoisted a small luggage bag from the boot.

"As if you'd fit."

"I'll take that as an insult about my weight."

"Take it as you wish…"

As Araragi stood at the desk checking the couple in, Senjougahara stood in the centre of the lobby, letting her eyes wander here and there to soak in the decor. The wide room was deadened by the quiet of late night. Soon, the pair of them were standing alone in the elevator on their way to their 5th floor room.

"It's only for one night but, I hope you like it. I also booked a spa treatment for tomorrow morning. I didn't know how into that kind of thing you would be, so you don't have to go if you don't want to, but the option is there."

"Thank you, Koyomi. Truly, thank you. But…" she trailed off.

"But? What is it?"

"I don't doubt your mathematical skill, but, is this not more than you can afford? This is a 4 star hotel. It's very glitzy. Is it really alright for you to be paying this?"

"It's fine, I've been saving for this for a while. Plus, I get to enjoy the stay too."

"But I feel…guilty. That I would never be able to do anything like this for you. It doesn't seem fair."

It was then Araragi turned and locked eyes with hers. His expression was painted with a gentle seriousness.

"Hitagi, listen. I understand your financial situation, your family situation, better than anyone. This is not an investment. I will never expect any sort of return on this. That's because, if it's spending time with you, if it's making you happy, then it's priceless.  _ You _ are priceless. Never forget that."

Her heart skipped like a schoolgirl's.

She refused to avert her gaze, but her cheeks definitely burned scarlet.

For all the maturity she exuded, for all the layers of inner strength she had cultivated, there was still one person who could pierce right through to her core. That man continuously exposes her vulnerabilities, and yet somehow manages to make her feel safer and stronger than when she is walled in an iron fortress.

That man was right in front of her, and she could have stayed entangled in his earnest eyes for an eternity.

She could have, but eventually - the elevator bell rang.


End file.
